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Selected items from the media, our in box and other LA Observed sources. Posted occasionally — often in the morning.
Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency around the oil spill on the beaches north of Santa Barbara. Refugio and El Capitan state beaches are closed through the Memorial Day holiday. The spill, while big and claiming wildlife, is nowhere near as massive as the 1969 spill that altered California and environmental politics. Release, Heal the Bay
The company behind the pipeline that burst, Plains Pipeline L.P., has a history of safety and maintenance infractions. It was the fifth-most cited company in a database of more than 1,700 pipe operators. LAT
UPDATED: How Tuesday's oil spill compares to Santa Barbara's pivotal 1969 spill. http://t.co/p5yX2XTWDO pic.twitter.com/a0cZVxYWIP
— L.A. Times Graphics (@LATimesGraphics) May 21, 2015It's one of the most harrowing things I've seen—an oil-drenched pelican struggling for its life #SantaBarbaraOilSpill pic.twitter.com/J8ghC3FHnG
— Scott London (@scottlondon) May 20, 2015
Norms coffee shop on La Cienega received official historic-cultural monument status from the City Council. The fate of both the restaurant and the building remain unclear as development plans continue. Los Angeles, LA Weekly, NBC 4
Channel 2's David Goldstein caught up with reticent DWP union chief Brian D'Arcy outside Taylor's Steak House, where he had lunch with former Councilman Dennis Zine. CBS LA
Remember those 15 students arrested and perp-walked out if Venice High School on alleged sex charges? No actual charges will be filed against any of them. LAT
Ryu won council seat by seizing outsider status, Korean American backing. LAT
Koreatown celebrates election of David Ryu to L.A. City Council seat. LAT
With the election of Ref Rodriguez to the board of the L.A. Unified School District, charter school supporters now have a seat -- literally -- at the table. LAT
West Hollywood mayor wants a higher minimum wage than $15. KPCC
The New York Times editorializes about the "$15 Minimum Wage Bombshell in Los Angeles." NYT
LA's New Minimum Wage Isn't Worth Anywhere Close To $15. 538.com
Three designs for making over the Convention Center were unveiled. There are three teams of architects: AC Martin Inc. and LMN Architects, Gensler and Lehrer Architects,
HMC Architects and Populous. Urbanize LA
Oops: At a finance committee meeting this week, new Metro CEO Phil Washington garbled Councilman Paul Krekorian's name as "Krevorkian." Time to get with the Armenian names in LA and be happy he don't have to learn "Villaraigosa," which some people never got right.
Former model Janice Dickinson sued Bill Cosby for defamation for denying that he raped her in Lake Tahoe in 1982. Gawker
Gov. Brown and Anne Gust got another dog.
The Browns add another dog to the Governor's household http://t.co/aJGG9Yuxkv via @sfchronicle pic.twitter.com/DY5kwG8Ssn
— Leah Garchik (@leahgarchik) May 21, 2015
Tom Shales: We’re not just saying goodbye to Dave, but to an entire generation of comedy. Daily Beast
Mary McNamara: "Like millions of Americans, I have watched David Letterman pretty much my entire life. Now that he is leaving -- has, in fact, left -- it feels like the bottom of my heart has come loose." LAT
NPR featured the LAPL menu collection and the new exhibit and accompanying book by Josh Kun, "To Live and Dine in LA: Menus and the Making of the Modern City." NPR.org
Marjorie Miller, the former LA Times foreign editor, was promoted to Director of Global News and Enterprise for The Associated Press. AP
Alexia Tsotsis is stepping down as co-editor of TechCrunch to do the MSx management masters program at Stanford University’s business school. Re/code
Ex-LA Times reporter Nora Zamichow talking about the final days of her late husband, Mark Saylor. KPCC
The new Amy Winehouse documentary trailer shows why critics loved it at Cannes. Slate
Chapman University English professor Tom Zoellner, author of "Train: Riding the Rails That Created the Modern World—from the Trans-Siberian to the Southwest Chief," in the Zocalo green room.
The race to preserve disappearing data. Boston Globe
Official Scrabble book adds lotsa ridic new words. The Guardian
Architect Brenda Levin featured: Woman’s Own Dreams Reshape Some Of California’s Iconic Landmarks. CBS LA
When Chris Burden had himself shot in the arm for art. NYT
The New York Times finds fashion designers discovering LA "among the palms." NYT
87 percent of Los Angeles Zip codes qualify as urban rather than suburban. 538.com
The rock ‘n’ roll legacy of the Andaz West Hollywood on Sunset Strip. KCRW
Where Change Is a Bulldozer, Can an L.A. Neighborhood (Elysian Valley) Grab the Wheel? NextCity.org
Tabitha Soren's photographs of baseball players are at the Kopeikin Gallery through June 6. Zocalo
I never thought I would say this, but I think the Clippers can win the NBA Championship. They have a little bit of everything...
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 11, 2015
Well, that was extraordinary. #thanksdave @lateshow https://t.co/MLQw5dMG53
— Julia Louis-Dreyfus (@OfficialJLD) May 21, 2015I remember this Stupid Pet Trick from 80s Letterman, involving a German Shepherd…and milk… https://t.co/zBbkQBRheL
— Kevin Roderick (@LAObserved) May 21, 2015What a wild ride NY! Thrilling to cover @lateshow's last shows. The end of an era! 💙 This is the… https://t.co/UT7azEPfNN
— Suzanne Marques (@suzmarques) May 21, 2015My dentist told me I need a crown. I was like I KNOW, RIGHT?
— Swishergirl (@Swishergirl24) August 8, 2013